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| Muslims accuse the Ahbash of launching an "indoctrination program"in predominantly Muslim areas |
CAIRO –Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Muslims have taken to the streets to protest the government's oppression on their community and interference in their religious affairs.
"This is the first time I see Ethiopian Muslims united against their common enemy,"Temam Mohammed,one of the protestors,told OnIslam.net.
"The ‘Majlis’leaders thought they can impose their evil policy on us by using force,"he said,referring to the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs.
Al-Ahbash:Evolution and Beliefs (Q&A) |
Thousands of Muslims protested across the capital Addis Ababa following the Friday prayers to protest the government oppression of their community.
Chanting "We want our rights"and Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest),the protestors condemn government restrictions on their community.
Protestors say the government is spearheading a campaign in collaboration with the Majlis to indoctrinate Muslims with the ideology of a sect called "Ahbash".
The government of Ethiopian Premier Meles Zenawi has put the Ahbas in charge of the religious affairs of Ethiopia's Muslims.
Muslims say the government move was in violation of the constitution,which prevents the government interference in religious affairs.
Muslims also accuse the Ahbash of launching an "indoctrination program"in predominantly Muslim areas,forcing people to attend "religious training"camps or risk police interrogation and possible arrest.
"They thought they can draw a line between “Sufi”and “Salafi”and fulfill the interest of Ahbash which is a deviant business motivated sect seeking to expand its empire by dividing the people,"Mohammed said.
"But we were fast enough to know their hidden agenda and strengthened the brotherly bond among the Muslim society. That is why you see this large mass coming here to demand its right."
Founded by Ethiopian-Lebanese scholar Sheikh Abdullah al-Harari,Ahbash is seen by the West as a "friendly alternative"to Wahabi ideology,which the West sees as extreme and militant.
Muslims say Ahbash imams are being brought over from Lebanon to fill the Majlis and teach Ethiopians that “Wahabis”are non-Muslims.
Silenced Muslims
The government,however,insists it was not interfering in the religious affairs of Ethiopian Muslims.
"We have no right to intervene in the churches and mosques,"Premier Zenai told the parliament last week.
"We didn’t impose Ahbash ideology on the mass. All what is happening is done by the leaders of Islamic Affairs council themselves.
"What we did was only teaching about our constitution. We did that because it was our duty,"he said.
Zenawi also defended mass arrests of Muslims,saying it was part of efforts to combat extremism in the country.
"All those arrested by the security agents are part of the ‘Salafi’school which approves that at least some ‘Salafis’want to topple the state forcefully,"he said.
"We know them and we follow up them. However,this doesn’t mean all Salafis are Al-Qaeda members."
But Muslim religious leaders see Zenawi's statements as a tactic to silence them.
"Our request is purely about freedom of religion. We didn’t ask political power,"Muslim scholars said.
"He didn’t address any one of the three points we requested. But he tried to show us his wisdom about “Sufi”and “Salafi”and terrorized us by bringing a nightmare of ‘Al-Qaeda’to our country. He did so because he wants to keep us away from raising similar questions in the future."
This is just to remind fellow Ethiopians the dark side of this blind support to our few muslin brothers who are motivated by the extreme version of Islam and are trying to wage Jihad in Ethiopia.
Some of our fellow Ethiopians are becoming very naive,unorganized,tactless and started to make a blind move with only one objective and end up supporting everything that seems to unsettle current government.
As much as I hate the Meles regime and do all I can to rid off his government with peaceful struggle,I would not blindly support the most destructive force that the world has ever seen.
It is extremely important to note that the people behind the current movement in Ethiopia are extremists,who very tactfully organizing and pushing our Ethiopian muslin brothers to the unknown,and will not return from starting killing and culling our people in the name of Alha.
I am a living witness who escaped from the massacre in Chelnko by the JARA people in the early 80’s. The Jara movement is a movement lead by a person called Jara and organized as extreme Jihadist movement under the umbrella of the OLF army. Note these people have killed hundreds of people both from the Amhara and Ormo Showas who are Orthodox Ethiopian.
Do not tell me that this movement is a peaceful movement demanding their religious right,thought it appears to be for the timebeing…it is something nasty covered with honey,if you get the hint. Please dear Ethiopians admit truth when it is true and do not twist reality just because you hate this government.
Show us a way to a peacefully confront Meles and defeat his government on non religious political field rather than hiding behind an extremist movement that will come back to haunt us more than what the current government did to our people across both various ethnic and religious groups.
Learn from history. The Americans thought the jihadist organized under a religious Islamism movement will unsettle and remove the Afghanistan government and will give them the upper hand over the then Soviet union. They poured their money, and support any movement against Soviet Union and created men like Osma Bliden. And then what happened is history …thousands of innocent Americans perished …. in one day do you remember 9/11 …thousands of American soldiers were killed not counting the ten thousands of civilians perished in Iraq …all this for what? Just to oppose Soviet Union .. how naive were the then policy makers in USA …
Do not be fooled …this is reality.. and check reality before making the bigest mistake that this country has seen in its entire history. Please take your butt out of any religious movement in Ethiopia. Do not hand this country in a silver plate to the extreme Islamic movements in particular and its sworn enemies like Eritrea,Egypt,Sudan,and the like countries in the region. Do not forget Al Shaba of Somalia … all what they are trying now is in the name or religious right bring their disorder first then galvanize support from dissatisfied corner of the people,in particular from the so called opposition groups and then start divide the people to pave the way for a jihadist war…this is not a propaganda from some s**t Melse agent this is from a concerned Ethiopian who actually went through the pain of a mascara of all his families and got narrowly escaped from being killed himself. Just to remind you read the Amharic article written by this group under a title “Let it be known”in its loose translation. and posted on Ethimedia.. And read it between the lines you will get the answer.
I SAY TO YOU NAIVE FELLOW ETHIOPIANS STOP THE SOMALIZATION OF ETHIOPIA …FIND YOUR OWN means to continue the struggle rather than hiding behind the unknown extremists Islamic movement …I bet if they got chance you will be their first victim or sacrifice in the name of Alha to get their place in haven and sit besides Mohamed the great at the cost of your life. Misinterpreting Islam and preaching against the peaceful sacred words of Mohamed,this people if you think again and bothered to ask why? they are not a messenger of Islam to preach the true Islam but they are fanatics whose ultimate motive is traced back not to religion but to some authoritarian governments and security forces created to prolong their rule by creating havoc in their own country and neighbours just to guard their interest.
ONCE AGIAN STOP THE SOMALIZATION OF ETHIOPIA !!
Finally think of the articles written by Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin who in one way or another is determined to rewrite history.and dismantel Ethiopia .. erase it from history …. believe it or not people like him are behind this needless movement …and in its grand scale think of the bigger scheme targeted to Ethiopia by the masters of this nutty Dr.
Aselame Alekume brothers,
My name is Tedla Asfaw fellow Ethiopian from NYC. As a human rights activist I voiced my support for Ethiopian Muslims struggle for religious freedom on my recent appearance on Africa TV,VOA English program. You can google Straight Talk of Africa and follow the April 4 program of this year. Ethiopian Muslims are leading the struggle for freedom of their religion since January of this year and most Ethiopians are impressed by the organization skill at Awalya and the discipline of our brothers and sisters not to be infiltrated by Woyane cadres.
I read also support letter and comments on websites for the huge crowd million plus that has turned out since Meles Zenawi mocked your struggle as a movement of "losers".It is time to come out and warn Meles Zenawi Agents / Embassies all over the world to stop the killing machine. Last week blood of our brothers were spilt in Arsi and that has to stop immediately. We will call fellow Ethiopian Christians as well as Muslims in NY area to rally for religious freedom. Please forward this call for fellow Muslims in our area to contact us for rally next week.
Thanks,
Tedla Asfaw